-- Jan 22, 1973 [U.S. Religious History] Decided: Roe v. Wade This landmark decision established that women have a basic right to have an abortion Through various cases, the Supreme Court developed the idea that the Constitution protects a person's to privacy, particularly when it comes to matters involving children and procreation. (1)

-- During 1973 [U.S. Religious History] The Securities and Exchange Commission charged Jerry Falwell's Thomas Road Baptist Church with "fraud and deceit" in the issuance of $6.5 million in unsecured church bonds. Falwell admitted that the SEC was "technically" correct, but a biography of Falwell written by his staff claimed that his church won the suit and was cleared of the charges. This is a lie and the church's finances were actually put in the hands of five local businessmen to settle matters. (1)

-- Feb 4, 1973 The Marriott Activities Center at BYU was dedicated. Seating 22,000, it was the largest such arena on any university campus in the United States. (2)

-- Feb 11, 1973 The Southampton England Stake is Organized. It was the 600th Stake to be organized in the Church. (3)

-- Feb 13, 1973 [U.S. Religious History] The National Council of U.S. Catholic Bishops announced that anyone undergoing or performing an abortion would be excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church. (1)

-- During 1973 February The first Church agricultural missionaries to leave the United States were sent to the Guatemala-El Salvador Mission. (2)

Agricultural missionary program began with missionaries sent to South America. (4)

-- Mar 8, 1973 The first stake on mainland Asia was organized in Seoul, Korea. (2)

-- Apr 7, 1973 The creation of the Welfare Services Department was announced in general conference. The new organization brought the three welfare units â" health services, social services and welfare â" into full correlation. (2)

-- Sep 04, 1973 [U.S. Religious History] The Assemblies of God opened its first theological graduate school in Springfield, Missouri. This was the second Pentecostal school of theology in the United States, with the first opened in Tulsa, Oklahoma by Oral Roberts. (1)

-- During 1972 Church sports tournaments and dance festivals were directed to be held on a regional basis instead of an all-Church basis. (1)

Public Communications Department organized. (2)

Bonneville Communications begins producing award-winning â•Homefront series,680 â•commercial spots for television designed to communicate Latter-day Saint values. It is the most awarded PSA campaign series in history. (3)

Church Internal Communications Department organized. Goal of curriculum program: â•to design a basic curriculum that could be easily translated into a variety of languages for the various developing nations and cultures. . . (3)

President Harold B. Lee and Elder Gordon B. Hinckley hold press conference at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. (3)

-- During 1972 [Joseph Smith] Bruce R. McConkie is ordained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. (5)

[Leonard J. Arrignton] He was appointed LDS Church Historian in 1972 (title later changed to Director of History Division). Simultaneously, he was Lemuel Redd Professor of History and director of the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies at Brigham Young University. For ten years he supervised a team of professional historians and researchers in producing significant scholarly work along the broad front of Mormon history: finding aids, task papers, oral histories, articles for popular audiences, biographies, and works of synthesis. (6)

[Lowell Bennion] From 1962 until 1972 Bennion served as Associate Dean of Students and Professor of Sociology at the University of Utah; then, at age 64, he accepted a draft to serve as director of the Community Services Council in Salt Lake Valley. He continued this for eighteen years, past his eightieth birthday, leading the council into direct service, which now includes such things as a providing a food bank for thousands of needy households and the coordination of hundreds of volunteers doing chore services for the elderly and handicapped. (7)

[Media] The Church (working with Bonneville Communications) produced their first Homefront television public service announcement. The Homefront television series became the longest running, most highly awarded public service campaign in history. (8)

-- 1973 June [Mark Hofmann] Book of Common Prayer bought by Deseret Book Co. (9)

-- During August 1972 [U.S. Religious History] Gallup polls revealed that 64 percent of the general public and 56 percent of Roman Catholics in America favored leaving the decision about an abortion to a woman and her doctor. (2)

-- 1972 Church Membership at end of year: 3,218,908 New Converts : 127,955 Percent Change from previous year: 4.14% (6)

[African Americans in Utah] Governor Calvin Rampton appointed Donald Cope in 1972 to serve as the state's first black ombudsman. One year later, Governor Rampton issued an executive order creating the Governor's Advisory Council on Black Affairs. A modified version of this council continues to exist. (7)

[Democrats in Utah] Utahn Jean Westwood was named chair of the Democratic National Committee by party nominee George McGovern in 1972. (8)

[Equal Rights Amemdment] In 1972 a version of ERA was passed by the Senate and sent onto the states for ratification. (9)

[Harold B. Lee] He was called to be president of the church when Joseph Fielding Smith died on 2 July 1972. After a long period of time when the church presidency had been relatively unseen due to age and illness, he changed things. He went immediately to area conferences in England, Mexico, and Germany. He circulated among the youth at conferences, thus helping to restore to young people the image of an active prophet. He was the first president of the Mormon Church to visit Palestine. (3)

[Harold B. Lee] Death of President Joseph Fielding Smith. (4)

[Joseph Fielding Smith] He died in Salt Lake City on 2 July 1972. (5)

[Joseph Smith] After serving for two years as president, Joseph Fielding Smith dies and Harold B. Lee becomes president. (6)

-- Jul 7, 1972 President Harold B. Lee was ordained and set apart as the 11th president of the Church, with Presidents N. Eldon Tanner and Marion G. Romney as counselors. (8)

Harold B. Lee became President of the Church. (9)

[Quorum of the Twelve] The First Presidency is reorganized, with Harold B. Lee President, N. Eldon Tanner First Counselor, and Marion G. Romney Second Counselor. Spencer W. Kimball becomes President of the Quorum. (10)

-- During 1971 [William Morgan] Tragically for Utah and Mormon history, Morgan died at the age of fifty-six in 1971. Much of his projected work on Mormon and Utah themes was still unfinished. Later workers have followed his lead, publishing, in addition to bibliographies and chapters on Joseph Smith initiated by him, a number of works that he more or less laid out while he was still with the Utah Writers Project. (1)

-- Jan 14, 1972 The Church Historical Department was formed in a reorganization of the Church Historian's Office. Church library, archives, and history divisions were created within the new department. (3)

-- Jun 3, 1972 Public Affairs Department of the Church organized. Wendell J. Ashton is managing director of public communications. The department is organized into five divisions, including news and information, electronic media, visitors centers, hosting, and pageants. An office is established in New York and later offices in London, Paris, Los Angeles, Toronto, Frankfurt, Sydney, Sao Paulo, and Tokyo are added. (7)

-- During June 1972 [U.S. Religious History] Reverend William Johnson becomes the first openly gay person ordained in any Christian organization: the United Church of Christ. (8)

-- 1971 Church Membership at end of year: 3,090,953 New Converts : 160,143 Percent Change from previous year: 5.46% (4)

Church membership reached 3 million. (5)

Church issues the Health Services Handbook and calls its first --health missionaries. (6)

[Iosopa Community] The cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. (7)

[Mormon Tabernacle Choir] The masterful "Spoken Word" vignettes of long-time choir commentator Richard L. Evans inspired generations of listeners from 1930 until his death in 1971, at which time J. Spencer Kinard became the "voice of the Tabernacle Choir." Lloyd Newell replaced Kinard in 1990. (8)

-- During 1971 In 1971, when by fiat all female adults in the church were deemed Relief Society members, the Relief Society's traditional weekday weekly meeting was replaced in each ward by a Sunday meeting sandwiched into a three-hour block with Sunday School and the main worship service. Also, one daytime or evening meeting per month was devoted to practical homemaking skills. The woman-to-woman monthly visiting program remained, as did the injunctions to individuals to practice compassionate service to others. (10)

-- Feb 1, 1971 Bonneville Broadcast Consultants is organized in New Jersey. This entity was set up to market --Beautiful Music satellite programming to stations. The entity later called Bonneville Broadcasting System and its purpose was to install satellite receivers for various clients. (2)

-- Jun 8, 1971 [Joseph Smith] The Genesis Group is formed. It becomes an official church auxiliary dedicated to serving the needs of black members, who cannot hold the priesthood at this time. (4)

By this date, a worldwide organization had been developed to print and distribute Church literature in multiple languages, with publishing plants and distribution centers in England, Denmark, Belgium, Germany, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and Salt Lake City. (1)

Church membership surpasses the 2. million mark. (1)

First stake organized in Asia in Tokyo, Japan. (1)

General Handbook of Instructions is published for Bishops to utilize Church programs effectively. (1)

The Children's Friend ceases publication. Began publication in 1902. (1)

Utah population is about 1 million. (1)

-- During 1970s [Hotel Utah] During the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s the hotel hosted famous visitors from around the world: John Kennedy, Jimmy Stewart, Lowell Thomas, Katherine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Van Cliburn, Helen Hayes, Harrison Salisbury, Liberace, Warren Burger, John Glenn, and Ella Fitzgerald, to name but a few. LDS Church Presidents David O. McKay and Spencer W. Kimball also lived at the hotel. (2)

-- During 1970 [Spencer W. Kimball] Becomes Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. (3)

[Utah Immigration] In 1970 Utah was the only state in which the United Kingdom was the leading country of origin for immigrants and their children, accounting for 2.7 percent of the state's population, followed by 1.3 percent from Germany and 1.1 percent from Canada. (4)

-- During 1970s [Utah Indians] In the 1970s the Southern Paiutes and Goshutes each won settlements of more than seven million dollars. Other important factors in Utah Indian self-determination have been the development of mineral deposits on reservation lands, utilization of water resources, development of recreation and tourism, and industrial development to provide employment for tribal members. (5)

-- During 1971 January Publication of new Church magazines began: the Ensign for adults, the New Era for youth and the Friend for children. (6)

-- During 1971, January New Church magazines, Ensign, New Era, and Friend commenced publication. (7)

-- During 1970 [African Americans in Utah] Professional basketball franchises have been a positive influence in improving the racial climate in Utah. The American Basketball Association's Los Angeles Stars moved to Salt Lake City in 1970. They changed their name to the Utah Stars, and some of their black players were popular not only because of their athletic ability but also for their individual contributions to the community. (4)

-- During 1970s [African Americans in Utah] The racial climate in Utah gradually improved during the 1960s and 1970s. (4)

-- During 1970 [Chinese in Utah] Steadily growing since the mid-1960s, the Chinese American population now tallies 5,322 people (1990 census), a number that represents a tremendous increase over the 1970 total of 1,281. (5)

-- During 1970 to 1980 [Democrats in Utah] Two particularly important Utah Democrats during this period were Wayne Owens, who represented Utah's second congressional district in 1972, and returned in 1986, and Gunn McKay, Utah congressman from the first district from 1970 to 1980. Other prominent Democrats of recent times include Ted Wilson, Francis Farley, Palmer DePaulis. (6)

-- During 1970s [Democrats in Utah] Neither Jimmy Carter nor Walter Mondale did well in the elections of the 1970s and 80s, and Ronald Reagan was enormously popular in the Beehive State. (6)

-- During 1970-1976 [Editor of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought] Robert A. Rees (7)

-- During 1970s [Equal Rights Amemdment] Court rulings in family law cases in the 1970s emphasized traditional husband-wife relations and biological factors and reduced the state ERA to a nullity. In addition to the Utah court's disdain for the ERA, the state legislature undertook no comprehensive statutory review to gender neutralize the state code. (8)

-- During 1970 January A computerized system for recording and reporting Church contributions went into operation. (2)

-- During January 1970 In January 1970 Harold B. Lee was called to serve as a counselor in the First Presidency while concurrently presiding over the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. (3)

-- During early 1970s In the early 1970s the Hotel Utah responded to the changing travel market with massive remodeling that was projected to cost $6 million and that actually exceeded $15 million at completion. Using the slogan "Getting Better with Age," the hotel added two new wings, 160 guest rooms, a grand ballroom, exhibit space for conventions, a new kitchen, and a new rooftop restaurant. (4)

-- Mar 13, 1970 Mormon Pavilion dedicated at Expo '70 World's Fair in Osaka, Japan. The Japanese version of the film --Man's Search for Happiness is shown and over 6. million people visit the Pavilion. (5)

-- Mar 15, 1970 The first stake in Asia was organized in Tokyo, Japan. (2)

First stake in Asia organized at Tokyo, Japan. (6)

-- Mar 22, 1970 The first stake in Africa was organized in Transvaal, South Africa. (2)

-- Jan 09, 1970 [U.S. Religious History] After 140 years of unofficial discrimination, the Mormon Church officially declared that blacks could not become priests "for reasons which we believe are known to God, but which He has not made fully known to man." (3)

-- Jan 18, 1970 [David O McKay] At age 96, dies in Salt Lake City, Utah. By the end of his administration, Church membership had reached approximately three million. (4)

President David O. McKay died in Salt Lake City at age 96. (5)

David O. McKay died; 500th stake organized in Fallon, Nevada. (6)

David O. McKay, ninth president of the Church, dies. (7)

President David O. McKay, the longest serving Apostle and Church President, dies at age 96. His total term of service was 63 Years, and 9 months. (8)

-- Jan 23, 1970 President Joseph Fielding Smith was ordained and set apart as the 10th president of the Church and chose Presidents Harold B. Lee and N. Eldon Tanner as counselors. (5)

[Quorum of the Twelve] The First Presidency is reorganized, with Joseph Fielding Smith President, Harold B. Lee First Counselor, and N. Eldon Tanner Second Counselor. Harold B. Lee becomes President of the Quorum, with Spencer W. Kimball Acting President of the Quorum. (12)

-- During 1969 January Two-month language training missions began. Language training for missionaries prior to their departure to their mission field first began during the early 1960s for Spanish, Portuguese and German language missions. (1)

-- During January 1969 The Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs at President Richard M. Nixon's inauguration. (2)

[Mormon Tabernacle Choir] The choir performs at the inauguration of President Richard M. Nixon. (3)

-- Jul 20, 1969 U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon when he descended from the lunar module Eagle; he was followed 18 minutes later by Edwin Aldrin, pilot of the lunar module. (1)

-- Nov 1, 1969 The Southeast Asia Mission formally opened with headquarters in Singapore. In January 1970, the first missionaries were sent to Indonesia, which was part of the mission. (1)

-- 1969 Church Membership at end of year: 2,807,456 New Converts : 123,383 Percent Change from previous year: 4.60% (6)

A non-profit organization, Public Broadcasting Service, is formed serving nationwide public television stations. (2)

By this date, Bonneville International owns six radio stations. (2)

The Internet is invented as four host computers are connected together into the initial ARPANET. (2)

[Joseph Smith] Upon hearing news of Johnson's work in Ghana and others in Africa, President David O. McKay petitions the Lord to lift the ban on blacks receiving the priesthood. He is denied. It is not until 1978 that the ban is lifted. (7)

-- Apr 6, 1968 [Quorum of the Twelve] Alvin R. Dyer called as Counselor to President David O. McKay. (1)

-- Apr 23, 1968 [U.S. Religious History] In Dallas, the Methodist and the Evangelical United Brethren churches unified to form the United Methodist Church, creating the second largest Protestant denomination in the USA. (2)

-- Oct 22, 1968 The Church received official recognition in Spain. The first missionaries arrived in June, 1969. (3)

-- Winter 1968 See W. R. Harris, Catholic Church in Utah 1776-1909 (1909); Louis J. Fries, One Hundred and Fifty Years of Catholicity in Utah (1926); Jerome C. Stoffel, "Hesitant Beginnings of the Catholic Church in Utah," Utah Historical Quarterly (Winter 1968); Bernice Maher Mooney, Salt of the Earth, the History of the Catholic Church in Utah, 1776-1987 (1987). (4)

-- 1968 Church Membership at end of year: 2,684,073 New Converts : 69,733 Percent Change from previous year: 2.67% (5)

[Beehive and Lion House] Under church direction both buildings were restored - the Beehive House in 1960 and the Lion House in 1968. The Beehive House is now a historic site open for public tours, while the Lion House remains a social center for wedding receptions, group meetings, and birthday parties. Its lower floor, called the "Pantry," operates as a cafeteria. (6)

Belle Spafford, president of the Relief Society, was elected president of the National Council of Women. (7)

By this time, the Book of Mormon and many other printed materials have been translated into 18 languages. (8)

-- 1967 Church Membership at end of year: 2,614,340 New Converts : 133,441 Percent Change from previous year: 5.38% (1)

Church auxiliaries unified calendars and age groupings. (2)

Bonneville Media Communications --organized as a broadcast production facility to help develop a positive media image for the Church and to convey its doctrines and beliefs. (3)

Seven radio and television stations in Mexico start carrying General Conference. (3)

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is featured on --The Bell Telephone Hour-Messiah an NBC-TV series produced by AT&T/Henry Jaffe Enterprises. (3)

Unified Magazine first published as an effort to unify all independently published, foreign-language magazines of the Church. The various foreign magazines retained their own original titles but were systemized, containing translations selected from the Church's basic English magazines at the time,644 including the Children's Friend, the Relief Society Magazine, the Instructor, the Improvement Era, and Impact (published by seminaries and institutes). Specific cultural sections were produced by local editors. After the English-speaking magazines were consolidated into three (the Friend, New Era, and Ensign) in 1971, the Unified Magazines contained translated material from these three magazines. (3)

-- During 1966 Church creates the Deseret Management Corporation --as a holding company for its various corporate activities. Bonneville International Corporation, with other commercial Church ventures, transferred under the umbrella of Deseret Management Corporation. --Deseret Management Corporation was formed to keep the Church's commercial functions separate from its ecclesiastical functions and to allow its commercial operations to be taxed. (1)

[Mark Hofmann] At age twelve Hofmann purchases his first Mormon item: a five dollar Kirtland Safety Society Note signed by Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon. (2)

-- During 1967 [U.S. Religious History] Jerry Falwell created a racially segregated "Christian" school in order to avoid public school desegregation. As a result, Falwell was denounced by other local religious leaders. (3)

-- During 1967 April For the first time, seven Mexican television and radio stations carried a session of general conference. (4)

-- Jun 05, 1967 [U.S. Religious History] Israel launched a preemptive attack on Egypt and other Arab nations. During the six-day conflict, which came to be known as the Six Day War, Israel captured the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank of the Jordan River. (3)

-- Jun 10, 1967 The Six-Day War in the Middle East ended with Israel holding conquered Arab territory four times its own size. (4)

-- Sep 29, 1967 The new administrative position of regional representative of the Twelve was announced, and the first 69 regional representatives were called and given their initial training. (4)

-- During 1966 August A new visitors center on Temple Square was opened to tourists. While this would be the most elaborate center, it represented a trend of building visitors centers at historic sites and temples and at various other locations during the 1960s and 1970s. (1)

New Visitors Center opened on Temple Square. (2)

-- Nov 18, 1966 [U.S. Religious History] This was the last Friday on which American Roman Catholics were required to abstain from eating meat. The change was due to a decree made by Pope Paul VI earlier the same year. (4)

-- 1966 Church Membership at end of year: 2,480,899 New Converts : 84,967 Percent Change from previous year: 3.55% (5)

-- During 1965 [Catholic Church in Utah] Bishop Joseph Lennox Federal (1910- ) attended sessions of the Second Vatican Council in Rome during the years from 1962 through 1965. He helped steady his people through the upheaval of change that followed the council, and also updated diocesan life and liturgy in accordance with its directives. (1)

[Chinese in Utah] A new wave of Chinese immigrants began to settle in the United States in the aftermath of World War II. This pattern of immigration was ushered in by changes in immigration laws: the repeal in 1943 of the Chinese Exclusion Act; the McCarran-Walter Act of 1952, which approved immigration from Asia; and the Immigration Act of 1965, which abolished the national-origins quotas. (2)

Bimonthly Priesthood Bulletin is published containing information about all Church programs. (3)

Church's motion picture studio rebuilt after fire. (3)

Publication of Family Home Evening manual begins. (3)

The Translation Services Department of the Church is organized in Salt Lake City with offices in language areas. It comes to be known as the Translation Division in the 1980s. (3)

[Leonard J. Arrignton] In 1965 he became the first president of the Mormon History Association. He also served as president of the Western History Association, the Agricultural History (4)

[Lucy Mack Smith] Jerald and Sandra Tanner produce the first photomechanical reproduction of the 1853 text under the title, Joseph Smith's History: The Book Brigham Young Tried to Destroy, by His Mother. (5)

-- During 1965 February Government of Italy allowed missionaries to proselyte after the mission had been closed since 1862. (1)

-- Mar 09, 1965 [U.S. Religious History] Three white Unitarian ministers participating in a civil rights demonstration on the streets of Selma, Alabama, were beaten by a mob. One, Rev. James J. Reeb, died later in a Birmingham, Alabama hospital. (2)

-- Jun 14, 1965 [U.S. Religious History] In an editorial that appeared in the bi-weekly journal "Christianity & Crisis," a statement signed by 16 prominent Protestant clergymen argued that American policies in Vietnam threatened "our chance to cooperate with the Soviet Union for peace in Asia." (2)

-- Oct 29, 1965 [Quorum of the Twelve] Joseph Fielding Smith called as Counselor to President David O. McKay. (6)

-- During 1965 October With the appointment of President Joseph Fielding Smith and Elder Thorpe B. Isaacson as counselors, President David O. McKay announced that the First Presidency would be increased to five, instead of three members. (4)

-- During October 1965 Church General Conference first heard live in Europe. (7)

―‗Man's Search for Happiness,' the church's first film written for a non-Mormon audience premiers at World's Fair in New York; seen by five million people. (1)

Joseph W. B. Johnson, in Ghana, claims he was told by Jesus to preach the Book of Mormon and the Joseph Smith story to the Ghanaians. Over time, he converts 1,000 people,^[1] all who cannot hold priesthood in the church until the revelation received in 1978.^[2] (2)

-- Jan 18, 1965 The Tabernacle Choir sang at the inauguration of U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson in Washington, D.C. (4)

-- During 1965 January The family home evening program was inaugurated and wards had a choice of which night in the week to hold home evenings. A weekly home evening had been encouraged before by Church leaders, but now the Church published a formal family home evening manual, which was placed in every LDS home. (4)

-- During 1965, January Home Evening program manual placed in homes. (5)

[Mormon Tabernacle Choir] The choir performs at the inauguration of President Lyndon B. Johnson. (7)

-- During 1965 [U.S. Religious History] As late as this year Jerry Falwell continued to denounce civil rights leaders, even though he has claimed to have changed his mind about segregation and racism in the early 1960s. (8)

-- Feb 21, 1965 [U.S. Religious History] Malcolm X was assassinated by three Black Muslims while he was speaking to an audience in Harlem, New York City. (8)

-- During 1965 February The Italian government gave permission for LDS missionaries to proselyte in the country. No missionary work had been done there since 1862. (4)

-- 1964 Church Membership at end of year: 2,234,916 New Converts : 117,465 Percent Change from previous year: 5.55% (8)

[African Americans in Utah] The United States Supreme Court decision overturning prohibitions against interracial marriages and the federal government's passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act eliminated some of the more overt forms of discrimination. The Utah legislature, however, has not historically taken a proactive role in the quest for social justice. (9)

[Democrats in Utah] Democrats dominated both houses of the legislature after the Johnson landslide of 1964. (10)

[Democrats in Utah] In 1964, Calvin Rampton, who had been unsuccessful in numerous political contests was elected Governor over non-Mormon Mitch Melich. (10)

Joseph W. B. Johnson, in Ghana, claims he was told by Jesus to preach the Book of Mormon and the Joseph Smith story to the Ghanaians. Over time, he converts 1,000 people,^[1] all who cannot hold priesthood in the church until the revelation received in 1978.^[2] (11)

[Media] A fire destroys part of the Church's motion picture studio. (Films-Movies) (3)

We are excited to announce the arrival of Hearken, O Ye People: The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith's Ohio Revelations by Mark L. Staker, published by Greg Kofford Books. We will have the author at our store to speak about and sign his book on Wednesday, April 14, 2010. Mark will be here from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., speaking at 6:00, and will answer questions and sign books before and after that time.

Speaking of the early revelations in 1856, Brigham Young lamented: "These revelations, after a lapse of years, become mystified [sic] to those who were not personally acquainted with the circumstances at the time they were given." He went on to hypothesize that eventually these revelations "may be as mysterious to our children…as the revelations contained in the Old and New Testaments are to this generation."

Staker has attempted to reverse this trend by providing rich, detailed context (including many previously unpublished historical photos) to these foundational texts of Mormonism. Fleeting figures such as Black Pete, previously only brief mentions in histories of the period, are now fleshed out into chapter-length depictions. Drawing on his training in anthropology, the author gives needed background to early enthusiastic practices among the "Mormonite" community such as "sailing in the boat to the Lamanites" described by John Whitmer. Staker describes different religious practices such as the "shout tradition" among black Methodists and the "barking" of the Campbellites and shows their influence on the Mormons.

Many of the early Ohio converts would later become powerful leaders and household names among the Latter-day Saints: Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight, N. K. Whitney and Orson Hyde among others. Staker draws on both familiar and obscure sources to tease out the relationships (family, business, church) between these early converts and their collective entry into Mormonism.

Building on earlier treatments of this period (such as Building the City of God and Heavens Resound), Staker takes an in-depth look at the financial side of Ohio . One of the four sections of the book analyzes consecration, showing the critical role that N.K. Whitney played. The final section digs into the complex structure of the ambitious Kirtland Safety Society, providing more detail on this volatile episode than ever before.

Richard Bushman had this to say about Hearken, O Ye People:

"I am not aware of a more deeply researched and richly contextualized study of any period of Mormon church history than Mark Staker's study of Mormons in Ohio . We learn about everything from the details of Alexander Campbell's views on priesthood authority to the road conditions and weather on the four Lamanite missionaries' journey from New York to Ohio . All the Ohio revelations and even the First Vision are made to pulse with new meaning. This book sets a new standard of in-depth research in Latter-day Saint history."

Hearken, O Ye People is sure to become a classic of Mormon history, due to its rich detail (nearly 700 pages) and exhaustive contextual value.

We hope you will be able to attend this event, which is sure to be informative and interesting, but if you cannot, you may order a copy which can be signed or personalized and held or shipped to you.

-- Jan 1, 1964 [Utah Defense Industry] Utah General Depot (UGD) received its eighth name, Defense Depot Ogden, on January 1, 1964. At the time of its construction during World War II, it was the largest quartermaster depot in the United States, and an indispensable and permanent link in the Army's supply system. The main duties of UGD were to furnish the western states with all their nonperishable subsistence items. With the outbreak of the Korean War, receipts and shipments jumped proportionately. As during World War II, the Depot also assisted in training military personnel for the Korean campaign. Defense Depot Ogden continues to remain one of the largest supply depots in the United States. (1)

-- Jan 14, 1964 [Media] Church subsidiary Wasatch Radio & Television Company purchases KIRO-TV and KIRO-AM/FM in Seattle (Gordon B. Hinckley named as a director). Its broadcasting interests now include three properties: KSL, KIRO, and WRUL. (RadioTelevision) (2)

-- Jan 28, 1964 Temple Square and the Lion House in Salt Lake City were recognized as National Historic Landmarks by the federal government. (3)

-- During 1964 January A new program of home teaching, replacing ward teaching, was officially inaugurated throughout the Church after having been presented in stake conferences during the last half of 1963. (3)

-- Feb 08, 1964 [U.S. Religious History] Congress debated an amendment to the Civil Rights Act of 1963 which would have removed the protection of prohibitions against religious discrimination from atheists. Proposed by Ohio Republican John Ashbrook, the amendment read: "...it shall not be an unlawful employment practice for an employer to refuse to hire and employ any person because of said persons' atheistic practices and beliefs." The amendment was passed by the House of Representatives, 137-98, but it failed to pass the Senate. (5)

-- During 1964 March Two LDS schools were opened in Chile, one in Santiago and the other in Vina del Mar. During the early 1970s, the Church opened an elementary school in Paraguay, one in Bolivia and one in Peru. (3)

-- Apr 26, 1964 The first meetinghouse in Asia was dedicated for the Tokyo North Branch in Japan. (3)

[Media] First Asian meetinghouse dedicated in Tokyo. (2)

-- During 1964 April The Mormon Pavilion opened at the New York World's Fair. The Church also built elaborate pavilions for subsequent expositions in San Antonio, Texas (1968); Japan (1970); and Spokane, Wash. (1974). (3)

-- Nov 24, 1963 [Media] The Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs on the nationwide radio broadcast for the memorial service of President John F. Kennedy. (MusicRadio) (2)

-- 1963 Church Membership at end of year: 2,117,451 New Converts : 151,665 Percent Change from previous year: 7.72% (3)

-- During 1963 December Church storage vaults for records in Little Cottonwood Canyon were completed. They were dedicated on June 22, 1966. (4)

Construction of Granite Mountain Record Vault completed. (5)

-- During 1963 [Copper Mining] Copper production reached a high point during World War II, and Puerto Ricans were imported to help augment the labor shortage in Bingham Canyon. The Bingham mine is said to have produced one-third of the copper used by the Allies during the war. By the year 1963, Bingham had produced approximately 8 million tons of metal. In was at that time Kennecott decided upon an expansion project at the mine--the town of Bingham, as well as the town of Lark, was dismantled to make way for improvements. (6)

[Hugh B. Brown] He became a member of the Council of the Twelve in 1958, and Counselor to and then Second Counselor in the First Presidency in 1961, becoming First Counselor in 1963. His record of earlier service, his effective writings and sermons, and his long friendship and ideological affinity with LDS Church President David O. McKay probably accounted for his rapid advancement in the church hierarchy. McKay's failing health and his own policy differences within the church leadership later weakened Brown's influence, though his popularity remained great. (8)

-- May 21, 1963 [U.S. Religious History] The highest governing body of the United Presbyterian Church stated for the record its opposition to mandatory prayers in public schools, Sunday closing laws, and special tax privileges accorded to both churches and the clergy. (1)

-- During May 1963 [Thomas S. Monson] Named member of the Priesthood Home Teaching Committee. (2)

-- Oct 4, 1963 [Thomas S. Monson] Called to the Quorum of the Twelve and ordained an apostle. (2)

-- Oct 10, 1963 [Quorum of the Twelve] Thomas S. Monson ordained. (4)

-- Oct 12, 1963 The Polynesian Cultural Center, located near the Church College of Hawaii and the temple in Laie, Hawaii, was dedicated. (7)

Polynesian Cultural Center dedicated in Laie, Hawaii. (8)

-- During 1963 October [Joseph Smith] Elder N. Eldon Tanner, after having been an apostle for only one year, is called as second counselor to President David O. McKay in the First Presidency. He spends the rest of his life serving in the First Presidency. (6)

-- During Oct-Dec 1962 [Media] Church purchases five international shortwave radio transmitters from New York shortwave radio station with the call letters WRUL (later called WNYW) that broadcasts daily in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and German (unreceivable in the USA); about 5% of the programming was Church material. FCC approves sale to the Church for $1. million. A Church subsidiary, International Educational Broadcasting Corporation,605 buys the station to facilitate broadcast capabilities to Europe and South America. (Radio) (2)

-- 1962 Church Membership at end of year: 1,965,786 New Converts : 142,125 Percent Change from previous year: 7.79% (3)

[General Religious History] The Church of All Worlds, the first American neo-pagan church, is formed by a group including Oberon Zell-Ravenheart, Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart, and Richard Lance Christie. (4)

[Lowell Bennion] In 1962 he established the Teton Valley Boys Ranch, near Driggs, Idaho, to provide urban youth with opportunities for outdoor work and recreation. (5)

-- Mar 17, 1963 [U.S. Religious History] Elizabeth Ann Seton of New York was beatified by Pope John XXIII. (8)

-- During April 1963 [Media] WRUL broadcast the 133rd Annual General Conference in languages other than English and Spanish. For the first time conference was broadcast in German and Portuguese as well. (9)